Sport

Bourton cyclist can't help Pooley to a medal in Netherlands

BOURTON’S Sharon Laws has finished second-best British cyclist in the Women’s World Road Race Championship at Valkenburg in the Netherlands.

The event was won by home favourite Marianne Vos who therefore became only the second woman to complete an Olympic/World double in the same year.

The Dutchwoman won the 129km eight-lap race in 3hr 14min 29sec.

Laws, whose principal role was to help the medal chances of British No.1 Emma Pooley, came home in 39th place, with only 80 riders out of 132 starters completing the tough course.

Pooley, who had won team time trial bronze the previous Sunday, finished almost five minutes behind the winner in 15th place.

Britain's Nicole Cooke, the only other female rider to do the Olympic/World double when she triumphed in 2008, could manage only 60th, while team-mate Katie Colclough was one of those who did not
finish.

Pooley told BBC Sport: “I didn't do a good enough job. I had good support from the [British] girls and I knew Vos was going to jump across and I didn't have the jump to go with her and once I had
missed it I couldn't chase it back.”